Sheldon

G8/G20 Summit Magazine

2010-09-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/1cb15967?viewType=pubPreview#/1cb15967/24Page 70: African Indexes Fall Short

G8 Summit 2010
viewer.zmags.com
G8 Summit 2010

Christmas on the Nile

2010-01-03T23:23:00.001-08:00

Back From Juba, South Sudan

2009-12-24T01:47:00.000-08:00

I'm thirsty and tired... I have malaria... and now I have to walk to the border.

Catch Up

2009-11-19T05:14:00.000-08:00

2009-11-10T00:26:00.000-08:00

4-wheelin Africa style between Rwanda and Burundi.

2009-11-04T03:54:00.000-08:00

Office Space

2009-10-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.hinckley.utah.edu/events/media/2009-media/10_20_09_rwanda.pdf

NEW TIMES ARTICLE: Understanding Country's Rankings - Comparative Analysis of Harvard and Mo Ibrahim Indexes of African Governance

African Time

2009-10-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

Where'd my "o" g_?

2009-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Jackson and I went to town. He wanted to show me what church was like in Rwanda and I needed to pick up a few things at the store. We took a mini bus and on the way he tried to teach me how to say Nyenyeri, which is the part of town I stay in. After trying several times to get it out right, “…yenredy …yinyidy …nyenye ..yee …yeeedy,” I looked up and found a teenage boy speaking at the front of the bus. He was thicker than most boys here and had chubby cheaks.

After a moment I realized he was praying. There I was bumbling on while this kid was trying to bless everyone on their way to church. I felt bad and folded my arms and put my head down.

....everyone soon went crazy with laughter.

After catching his air Jackson explained that he was being a "funny-boy.” The prayer wasn’t to bless us on our way to church. He was begging; he was up there praying to the bus in Kinyarwanda that I would find it in my heart to give him money for a pancake.

Pickle

2007-08-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

I spent the day travelling the Juba road vitising IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps. Along the rough dirt road, which conects Gulu to Sudan, you can find nearly a dozen IDP's. Just recently, due to the ongoing peace talks between the LRA (Lords Revolution Army) and UPDF (Ugandan People's Defense Force), things have settled. I was told by another passenger in the truck, that travelling this road just a year ago would have required a military convoy. For the last twenty years people have gathered in the camps seeking protection from the LRA. Throughout the day I heard story after story of ruthless attack.
All there is for transportation along the road is pick up trucks which carry supplies to the camps and back and forth from Juba, Sudan and Gulu. I met two boys about my age. They had lived in the camps since they were born. A vendor was selling sun glasses and I bought the three of us a pair. After visiting the camps I figured since I was this close I might as well go to the border. I almost made it too, stopped just fifteen km away from Sudan. We ran into a mess where four rusty trucks were stuck up to their axils in mud. Drivers kept charging in to try and get around but only added to the mess.
As everyone stood around, one man started screaming at me because I had a camera around my neck, although it had never even came out of its case. He went back to his friends who all seemed to be drunk and they continued to talk and look at me. I thought it would be best to get out of there quickly. I was told it was six km back to the nearest camp, so I slipped out of site and started walking. By my guess, I only made it a mile and a half before waving down a small truck. I paid them and they took me back to Gulu.

"There's a pile of Wart Hogs outside your tent"

2007-08-16T07:07:00.001-07:00

Sorry guys, I have been away from a computer for a few days. I'll try to catch up on the highlights of last week.

Friday I went rafting on the Nile. Starting at the "Source of the Nile," above Lake Victoria, and rafting some 28 kilometers. Throughout the day we hit several large class 4's and 5's, as well as one eight-foot water fall. In between rapids was smooth riding, and everyone was quick to jump in for a swim. The scenery was amazing and we saw tons of wildlife. We counted ten Red-tailed monkeys and later in the afternoon, watched as hundreds of bats flew overhead. In one area we jumped in for a swim without getting permission. Our guide Palo quickly let us know it wasn't a good place to get in. "Why not?" we asked, "Are there rocks?" "No, there's crocodiles."

Over the course of the day, our raft flipped twice and I got flung out another two times. Once I took the guide with me. I caught him with my feet and knocked him out of the boat. Just after hitting Bujagali falls, we stopped to watch a local African guy go through the rapids with nothing but a Jerry-can. "It's how he makes his money." Palo explained.

Back in Kampala on Sunday, I was still feeling very much awake so I went out on the town. I met some guys around my age who took me to the local hangout spots. We played pool and watched Karaoke. I went into a casino and turned my 10,000 into 25,000 in less than thirty minutes. Too bad it was only Ugandan Shillings and it takes 1500 of them to make a dollar. Later that night I got a Boda and took a night tour of the city. There was hardly anyone out after midnight and the streets were surprisingly peaceful. My driver even switched me spots for a while and I got to drive.

When I made it back to Backpackers, it was closed and someone had taken my bunk. I tried to get some sleep on the concrete, but it never ended up working. Between the mosquito's, and lack of comfort, I may have got an hour of sleep. I ended up putting my head inside my mesh laundry bag to keep the bugs from biting my face anymore.

The next morning I had a three hour drive to catch up on sleep. I was on my way to Murchison falls for a Safari! Boo-ya! We took a boat up the Nile where we saw tons of hippos and crocs. One of the Hippos even charged the boat.

On the game drive, I pretty much got to see everything I ever wanted to; elephants, baboons, buffalo, all sorts of antelope and deer, giraffes, and even lions. Earlier that morning our guide told us how just the day before they nearly had a lion attack. If people move around too much, they see it as aggression and they'll jump on the vehicle. I was up on the roof rack when we came upon them. I felt a bit vulnerable just sitting out in the open with wild lions twenty feet away.

Back at the camp I stayed in a little one man tent. In the middle of the first night I was woke up from snorts coming from just outside my tent. The guy from my group who woke me up in the morning told me he found a pile of wart hogs outside my tent. The morning after that, we all woke up to find two hippos in our camp.

Today was our final day of safari and we went on a Chimp hike. It ended up being a bust and we never found them. Nonetheless, I still got to walk through a rain forest. Afterwards, the rest or the group headed back south to Kampala and I stayed behind to catch a bus heading North to Gulu.

I met William, who shares a small hut with his big brother, and the three of us are hanging out tonight. I've been so blessed along this trip. I seem to always meet the right people to help me find the way. Tomorrow I'll be reaching Atiak, just 20km from Sudan. I hear it's got the largest IDP camp in Uganda.

2007-08-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

I had a really pleasant time at the primary school. It's nice to see the difference that Kim and the other volunteers are making. Two of the young boys Kim brought to the school have made huge improvements over the last few months. One of the boys was tied to a tree lit on fire by his father for stealing coffee beans, and the other, hung by his penis for wetting the bed. Kim found them both completely traumatized at a hospital and took them to the school. She finds enough money to pay their school fees and pay for their living expenses. In a good environment and with some much needed love and attention the boys have come a long way. Kim's says it's just such a beautiful thing to see them get better.

After two nights I left the school and headed to Mukono. On the mini-bus ride up, an African guy fell asleep on my shoulder. I really had to pee and wanted to have the driver pull over, but just held it so the guy could sleep.

I'm now in Mukono, just east of the capital city, checking out Help International and the projects they're working on. This afternoon I went with a few of the volunteers to help paint the roof of a school. I don't think their building was up to code. When I was up painting the rafters it felt like I was climbing on big match sticks that were glued together. I'm suprised that thing even stands.

2007-08-06T02:14:00.000-07:00

I got in a small bus accident on the way back from Gesenyi, but nobody got hurt. In Kigali I spent my last night with Vinod. He's turned into a very good friend and we stayed up until 2am talking and laughing. He's got some great stories and I don't think anybody makes me laugh so hard. I packed up and left at 7am. He gave me a hug and said be careful Darling and call me if you get into trouble. He always calls me darling.

I jumped on a bus back to Uganda. Got off in Masaka and hitched a ride to Kyotera. All I had was the name of Kim's school but I found it okay. I showed up and recieved a very warm welcome from all the kids. "Mzungu! Mzungu! You are welcome. Good Evening sir. Where do you come from?"

It's very peaceful to hear all the kids playing together and being so happy. Last night they turned the generator on so the kids could watch the soccer game. They are serious fans and jump and scream. It was quite a sight. It doesn't take much for them to be happy.

Madame Carre

2007-08-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

I'm here in Gisenyi. Right on Lake Kivu, just miles away from the border of Congo. At night, you can see red in the hills where lava is flowing out of a volcano in Congo.

This afternoon I had the boda boda take me around for a tour. I visited a hot springs and had lunch in a garden on the lake shore.

After lunch I went to see an orphanage about 36 kilometers away. I thought I'd just ride the boda boda to take in the scenery, but I should have got a taxi. The whole way there was up and up. I couldn't help but think about dumb and dumber as they were passed by trucks on their mini bike up to Aspen. We had it pegged up some stretches of hill and couldn't have been doing more than ten.

On the way up I saw a small village with a soccer field and children. My butt needed a break from the seat and so I had the driver take me there. As we drove down the dirt road through the village, I just smiled and waved. They either speak Kinyarwanda or French. All I know is, "Bonjour!" "Bonjour!" and when I got to the soccer field, "Football?!" The kids all came running. I was easily the star player. Kids from both sides passed me the ball whenever they got it.

The orphanage was wonderful when I finally made it. They've taught all the kids English which was nice. I found myself paired up with Mussa, a fifteen year old boy, who took me on a tour of the place. He took me through the "big boys," and the "little boys dorm." Then I got to see the small health clinic, dining hall, and then the gardens.

The orphanage was founded by Rosemond Carr after the genocide. Mussa spoke very highly of Madame Carre, and asked if I'd like to see where they buried her. On the way, we strolled through the gardens where he said, "When she died, many kids cried and they bring her flowers and pray for her." There at her grave, we found three youngsters visiting.

Over the rest of the tour I was so impressed with Mussa, such a bright fifteen year old. As we continued walking he explained, "they are working very hard here for the kids. They give us clothes and shoes, and many things."

I saw some young boys cutting the grass with a machete and he said, "We do many jobs. Girls clean floors. Boys bring firewood. Many things. Older girls take care of little childs."

I was curious about Mussa, and asked what he wanted to do when he grew up. "I want to be a doctor a do what is called giving back. I can come back here to the orphanage and help the kids."

"Cause Madame Carre helped me, I also have to help."

His entire family is dead and all he wants to do is help others. He is a beautiful person and to think that if it wasn't for one elderly women he might not be alive.

2007-08-02T02:53:00.000-07:00

The other night I hung out with a young African student. His English wasn't the best, but we communicated just fine. For a second I forgot who I was speaking with and asked him what his parents did. My German friend who was there quickly reminded me that you don't ask what the parents do here. Many kids don't have any.

The mayor had his driver pick me up first thing yesterday morning. On my way to see him, we took a detour to see a small church. Now a memorial for those massacred there, nearly 5,000, most of whom were women and children, who sought protection when they had nowhere to run.

Today when you visit the church, you will find the remains of hundreds of bones stacked on shelves. The clothes they were wearing all hung along the side wall. A trunk of their possessions, including homework and identity cards showing they were Tutsi. Fragment holes in the roof from grenades. Blood stains on the wall. In the corner, machetes and blunt weapons used to finish off those who survived the explosions. Out back in the churches storage unit, burn marks, where a man was bound inside a mattress and set on fire. An empty Sunday school room. Again, more blood stains on the wall.

They took me to the mayor. He set me up with an English speaking director, and they showed me many things throughout the day. That afternoon I visited the Rafiki foundation where they are in the process of building a Children's Village which, when finished, will house 240 children and twice a year provide medical treatment to the community.

I asked the mayor if it would be a problem to fill this many houses with orphans. He chuckled. "This isn't the problem. The problem is picking out which ones get to move in." In the Bugasara district alone, there are at least 1,500 orphans caused by the genocide. All of them need help.

Bad Boys Saloon

2007-07-31T02:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we passed a joint called Bad Boys Saloon. Dr. Totten decided we needed to check it out so we went in. We found that it was actually a salon. Being the jokester that he his, Dr. Totten wandered around the inside like he was looking for something and asked the Barbers where all the beer was.

Later that evening, Dr. Totten made a call to his good friend K.K., a famous Major General here in Rwanda. Soon we were picked up by one of his soldiers and driven to a somewhat remote hotel and restaurant, where we met the mayor of Nyamata.

We arrived and sat down with Mayor Gasparo and Mweusi, K.K.'s older brother. For about two hours we enjoyed food and drink, while discussing the future project in Nyamata. What I hadn't realized earlier is that Dr. Totten had only come up with the idea two days prior. The main ideas for the project unfolded right in front of me. It was quite a treat to sit with these men as they discussed ideas.

Nyamata was one of the first cities in Rwanda to be attacked by the atrocities of 1994. In Gaspero's district alone, nearly half the population was murdered; 120,000 to 65,000. The genocide left the place in shambles. Those who were lucky enough to survive, many of them orphans, were left with next to nothing. Gaspero, very passionate about giving his people a better life, explained that Nyamata receives help from the government and other organizations, but that a huge gap still remains between the needs of its people and what they have available.

Gaspero and others are no longer encouraging orphanages. He believes a much better way to give children a normal life is to find homes for them. "The new formula," he says, "is a children's village." A small community of four bedroom houses, where mothers are given free board and paid to take care of the children in their home.

A project like this, complimented by the scholarship organization Dr. Totten has already started, and other educational options sure to come in the future, will undoubtedly transform dozens of lives.

I met an intern of the New Times Newspaper and she's offered to take me to work with her today. Then, tomorrow, Mayor Gaspero is picking me up in the morning and taking me with him to Nyamata. There, I will gather information for the Children's Village project.

Dr. Totten

2007-07-30T03:42:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest reasons I chose to visit Rwanda was Dr. Totten. He's a very inspirational leader who influences activists worldwide. I met him a few months ago at a conference on Darfur and was captivated by the talk he gave students. I was able to sit and talk with him and his wife Kathleen for awhile. He told me he'd be in Rwanda this summer and if I could make it, we'd meet up. I consider myself very lucky to make such friends. I've spent only a few hours with him since I've been here, but Dr. Totten has already given me plenty to think about.

Today I will be tagging along with him as he meets with government officials to begin setting up a sponsorship program with the U.S. The goal, from what I understand, is to have communities across America sponsor Rwanda's orphanages. The Genocide left communities in very bad condition. Orphanages filled with children affected by the genocide are stuck with a lack of supplies and resources. The government doesn't have the money to support them, so Dr. Totten and local leaders are working towards starting the project.

Hanging with Dr. Totten has been great. He inspires me and someday I hope to be as productive as him. If I can get there I'll accomplish a lot.

Spending evenings with Vinod has taught me a lot about the Indian culture. Last night we had dinner with a Sikh named Sammy. I spent an hour bombarding him with questions. I find his religion very interesting. They originated from the Hindus, and were formed to protect India against Muslims from Pakistan who were forcing Islam on the country. The main goal of their religion, according to Sammy, is to protect the rights of people who cannot protect themselves. They're warriors, and it sounds like, of a worthy cause.

Sam and Vinod

2007-07-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

I've become pretty good friends with a local Indian business man. He's put me up in his spare room for as long as I'd like. Vinod's a good man and has been very generous towards me, but I don't have any doubt he would kill a man. The Africans on his street know him as "Mafia." He got the name after beating three street thugs. They mugged one of his girlfriends, so he beat them with a rod and took her money back. Luckily for me I see his sweet side. For three hours last night he bore his heart out to me about problems with the love of his life.

This morning I got to hear more Genocide stories from a Tutsi man. For someone that has been through so much, he's got an attitude that could be admired by anyone. For the last four years, Sam has counseled the very prisoners who murdered a million of his people. "Nobody is perfect. We're all weak in nature and that is why we sin. After realizing that, I had to forgive." Sam forgot about his degree in Biology, and started over again in Social Work. "Hutu prisoners do one of two things when they get released. They hide from the people they hurt because of guilt. Or they go back to killing again. I try to help them forgive themselves."

"They tried to kill us all but they couldn't. Some of us remain and we want to help build Rwanda." In the future Sam plans to work with the youth. "If young people have a positive vision, the world is safe."

Gisozi Genocide Memorial and burial site of 250,000

2007-07-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

Pictures of thousands of mutilated bodies. Machete cuts. Bullet wounds. Crushed skulls. Missing limbs. A chain that was found at an exhumed burial site which bound husband and wife together as they were buried alive. Story after story of innocent victims. Video of a young man around my age explaining how his mother was beaten to death. A girl, who's two sisters were raped, beaten and thrown into a septic tank. Dozens of pictures of once beautiful children like Kim's, all chopped up, or shot. Streets and churches scattered with rotting bodies. Mass graves outside the memorial where family members placed flowers. It all brought tears to my eyes. Imagining the pain makes it hard to stand.

Later I read that an estimated force of 5,000 UN peacekeeping soldiers could have stopped a majority of the slaughter. It makes me sick. How could we have failed like this?

Rwanda

2007-07-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

About nine hours of bumpy roads and checkpoints and I'm here in Kigali, Rwanda. It was a beautiful drive covered with lush green rolling hills and terraced farmlands. The city here is much cleaner than Kampala. And the Boda Boda drivers give passengers a helmet to wear, so you should be happy about that mom. I wandered around the city for a while trying to find a hotel. It seems there is some sort of conference going on and the first four hotels I checked out had no available rooms. I finally found a place here a little bit over budget but tonight I'm going to enjoy my first hot shower in Africa.

Mzungu

2007-07-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Mom.. you would have freaked if you saw me today. I road my first Boda Boda. The traffic is already crazy, then you hop on the back of a little motor bike and fly past traffic from all sides. You nearly get hit or smashed around every corner, but that's normal here. It's scary at first, but you just learn to let go and enjoy. Its actually very effective for getting around and touring the city.

Today I passed a large group of kids in a field dancing and playing the drums. I had the driver flip a U and drop me off. I watched from a distance and was soon called over by the adults. They explained it was a conference for scouts in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. They invited me to volunteer for the day and before I knew it I was covered with kids. I taught the group some games, and the kids showed me how to dance and play African drums. It was a great experience, and I couldn't have been more happy to see such goods kids.

As I left I was swarmed with telephone numbers and kids trying to get a hold of something. Just as I broke away there was one last youngster, about thirteen. He explained he had dancing and singing skills, and that all he needed to be a star was for me to pull a few strings.

Here I am going to bed for the second time in Africa and I already feel as though my eyes have been opened to so much. I set up a deal today to volunteer at a primary school in the south. Kim, one of the advisers at the school, has about the biggest heart I've ever seen. Kim is always accompanied by her beautiful African baby girl. She's one of the most adorable babies I've ever seen. By the looks of things you would never know that at one point the baby was so starved that she nearly died. The baby's mother killed her other two children; threw them in a latrine after starving and abusing them. Kim saved the baby when she was near death and made her whole again. She now calls her her own and is in the process of adopting. She saves other children in similar situations all over Uganda. She says she knows she can't change Africa. She only wants to show love and affection to kids who need it. I think she's wrong. She's already changed Africa.

For many people I meet, development is very frustrating. There always seems to be something negative. I think you just have to weigh it out. Some things work.

"Only a girl's heart"

2007-07-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys, I didn't ever make it back to fill you in on Amsterdam. It was great though... don't worry about it.

I'm in Africa now! Landing at night without any sleeping accommodations makes things exciting. I met Dennis though, and he took me to Kampala.

The whole way we zoomed in and out of cars listening to sweet love songs and country music. Dennis grabbed a cassette and put it in. "Only a girl's heart" was one of the lines of his favorite song. He hummed along while making all sorts of rally racing maneuvers, and I just held on.

I made it to this sweet little backpackers' hangout in the city. All is well.

Boo-Ya!!!

2007-07-21T01:42:00.000-07:00

Two planes, one twelve hour layover, the Atlantic ocean, one pair of underwear, and who knows how many time zones. I'm finally in Amsterdam.

I gotta go while the weather is good, but I'll be back with more details when it starts to rain.

2007-07-18T01:17:00.000-07:00

The Big Dipper

2007-07-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

I've found that one thing that always brings me back to optimism is service. Although it doesn't erase past mistakes, each sincere act of kindness helps me believe I'm not just some animal.

Reason for going? I guess I'm quenching my thirst for adventure; or hoping to expand my understanding of the world and its people. I suppose I'm going for several reasons, but the biggest of all I think, is that I don't really know who I am yet. How can I possibly know when I'm affected by everything around me? The moment I love myself the most, the time I feel as though I know myself and my purpose in life, is when I'm trying to help others.

I'm not very knowledgeable. I've always been a mediocre student, and I haven't read very many books. I feel totally unprepared for this trip. I do, however, have an understanding of the simple fact that we are the only ones who can make the world a better place. I'm not saying I expect to change anything huge. The intent of my trip is to change myself, and attempt to show people that you don't need millions of dollars or a powerful position to bring joy into someone's life.

If I can motivate one person to go out of their way to help another, my trip will be well worth it. If I can make a small difference in one person's life, while I see a new part of the world and satisfy my thirst for adventure, I've reached my goal.